Time division multiplexed (TDM) data buses are desirable interconnects for many data processing systems because system components need not arbitrate for access to the data bus, which simplifies the system components and the overall interconnect. Each system component is allocated one or more "transmission opportunities" per "transmission cycle" wherein the transmission opportunities for a particular system component occur at the same position in each transmission cycle. For typical TDM buses, a transmission opportunity is defined as a "timeslot" wherein the duration of a timeslot is equal to one bus clock period.
For some prior data processing systems that use TDM buses, transmission opportunities are dynamically allocated in view of the configuration of the data processing system. For example, the data processing system and its system components may be scalable such that number of transmission opportunities required by a particular system component may change.